Silas Potter Extradition Waiver Hearing

A former manager for Seattle Public Schools could soon be back in Seattle to face felony charges. Silas Potter was charged last month for stealing a quarter of a million dollars from the school district. This morning at a court hearing, he could agree to come back from Tampa, Florida where he's been in jail for a week. KUOW's Phyllis Fletcher reports.

TRANSCRIPT

Silas Potter has a right to extradition hearings. That would require the King County prosecutor to explain to a judge in Tampa what Potter is accused of. It would take time.

In a hearing this morning, Potter can decide to skip that and come back to Seattle under guard as soon as the Sheriff can arrange it in Hillsborough County, Florida. That's where Potter's been living since last year. He left Seattle after the school district reported his alleged theft to the Washington state auditor.

The auditor found it was part of a scheme to funnel $1.8 million to politicians, businesspeople, civil rights organizations and private companies. The Seattle school superintendent and her financial chief were fired over it.

Last month, the King County prosecutor charged Potter with stealing a quarter million dollars. Last week, Potter was scheduled for arraignment. He didn't show up. A judge issued a warrant.

Around 1:00 the next morning, a police report says Potter was driving around Tampa and made a sudden turn in front of a deputy. The deputy said in his report it appeared Potter was trying to avoid him.

He looked at Potter's license plate and saw that a plastic cover obscured the tabs, so the deputy pulled him over.

By then, Potter's name had been entered into the National Crime Information computer. The deputy saw it when he entered Potter's name from his driver's license — which was suspended.

Potter got tickets for that and the tabs, and was arrested under the warrant from King County.

The county prosecutor charged two others as Potter's accomplices. All three face possible jail sentences for felony theft.